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Many congratulations and thank you to those of you who attended the King’s College London Undergraduate Summer School this year! This blog post is to update you on the next steps and what to expect over the next few months.

AugustExaminers will have begun marking your work, and if you have met the minimum attendance you will be sent an official Record of Agreed Results (a transcript of your grades). To make sure this is sent to the right place please check that your home address is listed correctly on your Student Records account. If not, please log into your record online and edit the address by Sunday 27 August.

SeptemberYou should be able to see your assessment results on KEATS by the very end of this month.

OctoberRecord of Agreed Results (a transcript of your grades) sent to your registered postal address by the end of October. You will be sent one copy of your transcript from King’s to the address you have supplied us in your original application. If you would prefer for this to be sent directly to your home institution please ensure this information has been updated fully in your King’s student record. You can visit our e-store via the King’s website if you need to purchase additional copies of your transcript.

NovemberIf you are interested in coming back to King’s – the 2018 Summer School programme will be available to view online from the beginning of November.

We hope you have enjoyed your Summer School experience and we hope to see you again in the future.

Hello from the entire Summer Programmes Office! It’s been an exciting few months for us here in London, what with welcoming a number of new team members and receiving your applications to our various summer programmes. So we thought we would introduce ourselves to you all and to let you know, if we had the chance, what Undergraduate Summer School module we would study and why…

“The Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine has a history of nurturing some of history’s best scientific minds. From the discovery of the structure of DNA, vitamins and beta blockers to the pioneering work on end of life care, researchers at Kings have made life changing contributions to the field of Biosciences. This module is a chance to be taught by scientific heroes”.Dr Sarah Williamson, Director of Summer Programme

“They all sound so wonderful I think it would be so hard to choose – all of them academically intensive, yet challenging and thought provoking. And I love the fact you get to use London as a classroom”.Ian Fielding, Deputy Director Summer Programmes

“I’m a great fan of TV Crime Dramas like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Silent Witness and Waking the Dead, so it would be great to uncover the fact from the fiction in terms of the real world of forensic science. Studying Forensic Science would also give me an excuse to return to my sartorial heydays of wearing a long white laboratory coat and protective eye goggles on a daily basis. I would also pick the Entrepreneurship module because essentially it is all about creating value and identifying opportunities. The module is very ‘market’ focused and would give participants the chance to identify their entrepreneurial potential, explore their creativity and develop a range of skills and knowledge that could be applied in any professional contexts”. Michael Bedward MBA FHEA, Teaching Fellow (Short Courses)

“I remember studying Latin at school for seven long years. When I once had the chance to sit in on an Intensive Latin Summer School class during its second week I was amazed by how much vocabulary the students knew and about their cultural insights too. It is hard to thoroughly learn a new language from scratch when you are busy. That’s why I would take the very intensive and well structured Ancient Greek course on the Undergraduate Summer School”.Dr Alexander Heinz, Academic Convenor Summer Programmes

“I would choose the Consumer Behaviour module because I am fascinated by what motivates people to make purchase decisions, and how technology keeps changing and shaping their behaviour”.Miriam Menkarius, Senior Marketing Officer Summer Programmes

“I love reading and learning about different aspects of psychology which makes the module, Profiling and Psychology of Terrorism, really interesting to me. I’ve sat in on a couple of these classes and the tutor really knows her stuff, bringing in exciting guest speakers who are inspiring and relevant to this field”.Laura Carseldine, Summer Programmes Manager

“For me, spending the summer studying plays and visiting theatres would be a dream come true so I would choose Theatrical London. I think it would be fascinating to learn more about London’s illustrious theatrical history and to build my knowledge of the key plays and cultural spaces that define it. The close proximity of King’s to London’s theatre district also means there are plenty of opportunities to see the latest productions, from West End shows to fringe theatre events. Sign me up now!”Zoe Hamilton, Summer Programmes Manager

“I would choose the Public Health module as I am fascinated by how health care professionals plan and deliver health services in conflict and non-conflict zones. The current migrant crisis has created places such as the ‘Calais Jungle’ which have no government co-ordinated support infrastructures which are fertile ground for the breakout of epidemics. Public Health professionals are able to put in place simple and basic medical practices that could avoid the spread of disease.”Fahema Ettoubi, Summer Programmes Officer (Admissions)

“Reading has always been a big part of my life, particularly during my childhood, so the bookworm in me would definitely choose the Wonderland: 100 Years of Children’s Literature module. The opportunity to study some of my favourite pieces of children’s literature from a historical, political and moral stand point would be extremely captivating and getting to do all this in the heart of London is such a great experience. Something I wish I would have done during my studies'”.Sage Fitzpatrick, Summer Programmes Officer (Operations, Marketing and Events)

Hello I’m Zoe, one of the summer programmes managers here at King’s and I want to inform students about our Pre-University programme.

The King’s College London Pre-University Summer School is a unique academic and social two week residential programme based in the very heart of London. It is open to independent high-achieving students who are enrolled within their final two years at high school and therefore are normally between the ages of 16 and 18.

The programme offers students the chance to experience university life at a world class institution, to focus on plans for university and to build new friendships with students from around the world. It also provides the opportunity for students to explore London and to use it as a classroom, with course specific excursions making the most of our central location.

In 2015 the Pre-University Summer School will offer five academic courses: Global Health, Global Politics, International Management, International Law and World History: London & The British Empire. All courses are taught by King’s College London Summer School academic staff and you can find out more about each individual course on our website.

The programme fee includes a number of exciting excursions and activities to take advantage of King’s College’s central location. In previous years students have enjoyed a trip to a West End theatre, unique walking tours, a live cabaret and circus evening and a boat party on the Thames. These excursions allow students to explore all that the capital has to offer but also provide opportunities to socialise with their fellow students outside of the classroom.

The social programme also includes a weekend spent outside of London, giving students the chance to experience another part of the country and to build relationships with their peers. In 2015 we will be heading to the ‘heart of England’ and visiting Stratford upon Avon (Shakespeare’s birthplace) and the historic cities of Bath, Oxford and Windsor.

Accommodation for the programme is guaranteed at the College’s Stamford Street Apartments. Located in the heart of Waterloo, these apartments are within short walking distance to our Strand and Waterloo campuses, where Pre-University teaching takes place, and minutes away from London’s top attractions. More information about accommodation can be found on our website. All meals are provided for students on the residential programme and are included in the programme fee.

Throughout their time on the programme, students will be fully supported by a team of trained and experienced Pre-University Summer School staff including a team of Pre-University Student Ambassadors. Ambassadors are current King’s students specially selected to support the students and help them make their stay as comfortable and safe as possible.

Applying to an academic course can sometimes feel like an intimidating process, but the reality is far from that. Applying to our Summer School is a really simple process that takes just a few steps.

You can read a guide on how to apply for our Summer School on our website, but below are some of the most common questions we get asked in the office.

Why do I need to make a first and second choice when picking my course? Can I only pick one?

Of course we wish all the courses that we offer to our students would run each summer. However all courses need to attract a minimum number of students in order to run, and this combined with last minute events can cause courses to be cancelled. When you apply to our Summer School you are always asked to chose a first and second choice course, in case your first choice does not run.This means that when you are accepted by the admission panel, you are accepted onto the Summer School itself and not a particular course.

We confirm all courses running by the end of May, and if your first choice course does not run, you will automatically be allocated your second choice. You will have a period to make a decision on whether you want to leave the programme and be refunded – full details and dates are in our Terms and Conditions – or continue on with your second choice.

Why do I need an English language certificate?

If your first language is not English and you do not attend an English speaking university, you will need to provide us with proof of your language ability. All our courses are intensive and taught in English, and are not designed to act as substituent English language classes. The certificates we accept can be found here on our website. If you have another English language certificate that you feel proves your ability, please get in contact with us.

What kind of transcript do you expect?

Your most recent available transcript. You should speak to your home university about providing you with this. If the most recent transcript you have dates from the previous academic year then that is fine. If you are at all worried, we recommend attaching your high school grades if possible.

What should I write in my motivational statement?

Your motivational statement does not need to be very long. We are looking for the reasons why you are applying, what you think you will bring to the course and what you wish to get out of the experience. Please also include any other information you feel is important for us to know.

What else should I know?

Once you submit your application you need to pay a nonrefundable application fee. You can pay your fee using a credit or debit card. Once you make the payment, please don’t click away from the page or refresh as this can block the payment. If you do experience any issue with the payment, contact your bank to confirm they are allowing the payment before contacting us.

You will receive an answer regarding your application within 7 working days of submitting your application.

Don’t be tempted to apply without all your documents. Applications missing documents won’t be processed.

If your file is too large to upload, please try resizing it before attaching. Alternatively you can email this to us.

And finally remember if you have any questions, we are always here to help!

Interested in learning more about a particular course? Who better to talk to than the tutor in charge! This week, Katharine O’Reilly, the tutor for Ancient Philosophy, tells us a little more about her course and why London is the perfect setting for it.

‘One of the real advantages of studying Ancient Philosophy at King’s College London is that this city is a hub for the discipline – in addition to the course, there are talks by scholars, and other events, nearly every day.

We’re also so lucky to have the British Museum on our doorstep, and during the course we make a trip to see the Greek collection, and usually have a talk from an expert. This last year we were lucky enough to have Sam Moorhead speak to us about a new interpretation of the Elgin Marbles. Experiences like that transport us back to the cultural surroundings in which the philosophers we study flourished.

One of the aims with which the course was designed is to bring out the very practical consequences of doing philosophy. For the Ancient Greeks this was obvious: the philosophical school you were part of, and the conclusions you agreed with, dictated your life choices. Philosophy was a lived discipline. One of the wonderful things about the Summer School is that for many students studying away from their usual surroundings, joining this new community is a chance to do some self-reflection. Studying the Ancient Greek philosophers is a chance to use their work to help inform your thinking about your life, and for some that experience will be transformative.

In addition to doing close reading of ancient texts, and debating the issues therein, we also look at modern writing which attempts to answer some of the same questions. This unique format means that in a short time, we not only get to grips with how to understand and evaluate philosophical arguments, we also get to trace the intellectual history of an idea up to the present debate. As a skill set to walk away with, this has some of the widest applications.

The key questions we look at include some of philosophy’s most essential problems: Are the events of tomorrow already decided today? Can anyone ever really know anything? What is happiness, and is it different than pleasure? What is justice, and what do we owe each other? In class we’re interested in understanding what answers that ancient and modern philosophers have given to these questions, but we’re also interested in being critical of their arguments, and considering our own answers to the philosophical puzzles raised. Seeing students find their own voice in these central debates is always exciting.

Now that spring has arrived in London I’m very excited that this year’s Summer School is approaching. I invite you all to come and wonder with the ancients, and discover why the whole history of philosophy is merely ‘a series of footnotes to Plato’.

You can watch a short introductory video of Katharine chatting about her course here.

Welcome to the new King’s Summer School blog. We hope that the blog will be a great place for you to learn more about the Summer School, the courses we offer, and the university that we are part of. We also plan to tell you loads about life in London and how to make the most out of your time here if you decide to study with us this summer.

Each week the blog will have a new post, new tutors telling us more about their courses, Summer School alumni reminiscing on their time in London and King’s, and news and advice directly from the Summer School team. remember you can always find us on our website, Twitter and Facebook.

But why attend a Summer School in the first place?

Attending a Summer School is a fantastic way to broaden your academic outlook, learn in a new environment and gain credit towards your university study. The Summer School at King’s offers all these things and more, and also gives you the chance to study in a world-leading university in the one of the world’s most dynamic cities. Not only to our Summer School students benefit from learning from leading academics, they also form friendships and contacts for life. Why not listen to Summer School alumni Melissa’s student profile to see why she decided to study with us.

Why should I choose King’s?

The King’s College London Summer School is a high quality and intensive academic programme open to students from around the world. We offer university-level summer courses which use a fresh approach to the study of traditional academic subjects.

Located in the very heart of London, accommodation and classes are next to many of the great cultural, social and entertainment attractions which London has to offer. We even offer a lively social programme to complement the academic programme with events offered both on and off campus, including boat trips along the Thames, trips to Bath and Oxford, and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour to experience some Harry Potter magic! All this helps our students make the most of their time in London, both academically and culturally.

How can I learn more?

Well this blog is a great way to start! For information on what courses are scheduled to run this Summer, details on fees, accommodation and our social programme, can all be found on our website. Please note that as we get closer to the summer, more and more details will be confirmed, so make sure to check back regularly! We also have our Facebook and Twitter pages, and if you have a particular question that cannot be answered, please email us at summerschool@kcl.ac.uk.